A Dog Father Cannot Beget a Dragon Son

[Interlude] (21): Part 2

This could be counted as a final apology to her ger mother. Though Hu Qiliang had time after time dug her own grave, she would not implicate her mother in this mess.

She hoped her mother would live well, regardless of what would happen to her afterwards.

In actuality, her relationship with her mother had always been imperceptibly strained. Her mother always treated her well, that had to be said, but there was always an emotional barrier between them. Zheng Zhilin did not seem to understand that Hu Qiliang was his flesh and blood, that their fates were intertwined since Hu Qiliang's birth, and always treated her like a child who he had inexplicably come into possession of.

Once when Second Prince brought her to visit Second Imperial Consort, Hu Qiliang had wandered off to explore the courtyard and came back to Second Imperial Consort sobbing that the Fourth Imperial Consort was suppressing her, and that she had no choice but to rely on her son to elevate her status. The Second Prince, who hated when people got close to him with an ulterior motive and hated people who played at being pitiful, spent half an hour coaxing his mother, promising her that he would do all he can to make her life more comfortable.

On her way back to her ger mother's courtyard, Hu Qiliang tried to imagine that same scene happening with her in the role of the Second Prince and her ger mother in the position of the Second Imperial Consort and...couldn't imagine it. If Zheng Zhilin ever had any troubles, Hu Qiliang estimated that she would be the last to know.

Much like how she never realized Grandmother Ye's death was actually a premediated murder until the Second Prince accidentally told her, years later.

Grandmother Ye had been the one to tell her to not blame her ger mother if he seemed a bit cold; for Zheng Zhilin had been learning the art of war since he was eight and never had been taught how to be a mother.

Hu Qiliang thought that Zheng Zhilin was quite a good mother. Though he was at times dispassionate, he was very perfunctory about accompanying her through her music and painting lessons. When she was sad, he would sit and listen to her vent. She knew that he listened to every word she said because he could always repeat sections back to her verbatim. Whenever she complained (childishly) that she was bored, he would put down whatever project he was working on and teach her the strategy games of his youth. He never demanded more than she could give on the Imperial Tutor's assignments, but he never let her slack either. So in all these respects, he was quite good. It was only...

Sometimes Hu Qiliang wondered how long her ger mother might mourn if she died.

Picturing that impassive face looking over some old scriptures, Hu Qiliang thought...a week? Maybe a month if she were truly lucky. It probably wouldn't be long before he fell back into his routine of reading and gardening, especially if she weren't there constantly forcibly interjecting herself into his schedule.

Emperor father's warm baritone continued to echo in the great hall, and Hu Qiliang finally zoned back in to hear her Emperor father say, "Third Princess has always been treated like a child, and it was Zhen's failing that you have not mentally matured. Perhaps it is time for Zhen to stop holding his children back, and allow you to marry."

Emperor father sounded kind to her for the first time in her memory of him, and this was enough to make her blood run cold. An arranged marriage...?

"Negotiations with the Northern Tribe are once again underway," Emperor father continued, causing Hu Qiliang's horror to grow. "And it would be beneficial to cement our new ties through an Imperial Marriage. Perhaps allowing Third Princess to see more of the world would also be beneficial to her."

The surrounding ministers heard this proposal and began to discuss amongst themselves. The atmosphere of the room turned approving. It sounded like a win-win situation, but Hu Qiliang had heard stories of the way the Northern Tribe treated their women, especially the Xiaojies. Not to mention, if she were sent out of the country, who would she know there? Would she ever see her mother and the Second Prince again. Hu Qiliang wanted to cry out in protest, her previous resolve to peacefully accept her punishment shaking, but before she could, a light and pleasant voice cut through the commotion.